Best low impact exercise

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  • megan_elizabeth8
    megan_elizabeth8 Posts: 216 Member
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    Walking is great low impact as long as it isn't bothering your foot. Pilates is also a great option to do from home - there's so much in YouTube! Personally I love using Blogilates' videos on YouTube when I'm looking for lower impact option. Do you have access to a gym? If so there are lots of resistance training options that wouldn't bother your foot but would still allow you to get a great workout in :smile:
  • calinaty79
    calinaty79 Posts: 2 Member
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    Popsugar you can get the app on roku or on any device pretty much. They have low impact options. I like the low impact hiit workout video they have. Popsugar.com and click fitness
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
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    Swimming?
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,927 Member
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    Cycling
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    Surprised by someone saying cycling isn't low impact, it was recommended for me after a knee injury and "low impact" is the exact phrase the physio used. I suppose it's maybe counterintuitive because it's such hard work, but it doesn't involve weight bearing or literal impact on the foot.
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
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    Biking is extremely low impact. Usually the first thing doctors tell their knee patients to do. Rowing is amazing. Totally low impact while working 9 major muscle groups.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    cycling, swimming, walking...
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,981 Member
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    I've got a spin bike and rower. Both are good for "low impact" cardio but, between the 2, IMO the rower gives me a better workout overall.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    graysmom2005 wrote: »
    Biking is extremely low impact. Usually the first thing doctors tell their knee patients to do. Rowing is amazing. Totally low impact while working 9 major muscle groups.

    Perhaps it considered in general, but biking actual isn't easy on everyone's knees. I cant ride a bike regularly without my knees swelling, but running doesn't bother my knees one bit.
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THZKR_RJHHI
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    lodro wrote: »
    biking is not low impact

    Yes it is, you're sitting down most of the time :tongue:

  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
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    I hear this... I used to run all the time but now I work on my feet and it's just too hard one them to walk four miles during my work day and then run four more.... I'm about to switch back to the elliptical since for me it's the foot falls on the hard pavement that do me in.
  • lodro
    lodro Posts: 982 Member
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    mgalovic01 wrote: »
    lodro wrote: »
    biking is not low impact

    How so?

    It's non-weightbearing, that's true, but the impact on knees and ankles (and shoulders and neck) you get from serious cycling, even if a bike is fitted well, can be considerable. I nearly irreversibly damaged my knee joint by buying new cycling shoes that had a sole that positioned my foot and ankle slightly differently.
  • lodro
    lodro Posts: 982 Member
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    graysmom2005 wrote: »
    Biking is extremely low impact. Usually the first thing doctors tell their knee patients to do. Rowing is amazing. Totally low impact while working 9 major muscle groups.

    those must be doctors that know nothing about cycling. google knee injury and cycling. even slight misalignments can cause a lot of damage, especially in people who pick up a bike from a big box store and don't fit it properly.
  • lodro
    lodro Posts: 982 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    Cycling

    you of all people should know that cycling is not low impact on knee joints if there is misalignment or wrong fitting (saddle height especially)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,562 Member
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    Walking incline on your treadmill. No holding on either.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • lodro
    lodro Posts: 982 Member
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    graysmom2005 wrote: »
    Biking is extremely low impact. Usually the first thing doctors tell their knee patients to do. Rowing is amazing. Totally low impact while working 9 major muscle groups.

    those doctors then don't know a thing about cycling.

    http://www.aapsm.org/cycling.html
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,562 Member
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    lodro wrote: »
    graysmom2005 wrote: »
    Biking is extremely low impact. Usually the first thing doctors tell their knee patients to do. Rowing is amazing. Totally low impact while working 9 major muscle groups.

    those doctors then don't know a thing about cycling.

    http://www.aapsm.org/cycling.html
    Maybe I'm missing it, but where in that link does it state that cycling is "high impact"?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,359 Member
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    lodro wrote: »
    graysmom2005 wrote: »
    Biking is extremely low impact. Usually the first thing doctors tell their knee patients to do. Rowing is amazing. Totally low impact while working 9 major muscle groups.

    those doctors then don't know a thing about cycling.

    http://www.aapsm.org/cycling.html

    Impact is not synonymous with stress/effort/strain. Impact is one type of stress. Biking is low impact, but not low stress.

    For example, with my knee problems, I have to avoid impact or twisting, but straight line hinging motions of the knee are OK. I can bike or row (machine or on-water) at high intensity for long periods. But I avoid walking (long distances), jogging, aerobic dance, etc., even at lower intensities.

    OP asked about low-impact exercises. (The distinction you're pointing at is useful, however - depending on the specific physical issue, that may not have been the ideal formulation of the question.)

    OP, you might consider therapeutic massage or physical therapy, if you have access to it. I've had good results from those for tendinitis in other areas. Good MT or PT people will give you stretches & such to do on your own, and the PT people can assess whether the way you move is causing unnecessary strain when you walk/run.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,927 Member
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    Impact refers to things like jumping and running where there is the impact of foot on ground, and where the feet and legs bear the body weight.

    On the one hand, the weight bearing and impact of jumping and running, and even walking to a lesser extent, can be detrimental to the joints ... on the other hand it helps build bones.

    The lack of impact and weight bearing in cycling can cause bone density issues ... especially for long distance cyclists.
    http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/why-cycling-is-bad-for-bone-density-and-how-you-can-improve-it

    I found out about the long distance cycling bone density issues back in about 2002 when I was in my early years of long distance cycling, and when I found out about it, I incorporated walking (and especially walking with weight like a backpack or something) into my day.

    The last couple years I've walked more than 1000 km/year.

    Apparently weight lifting can also help increase bone density. And when it comes to cycling, there's some conjecture that mountain biking may as well ... perhaps that's because there's usually some walking involved. :)


    Although cycling is low impact, it can cause knee problems. But the knee problems are caused by alignment issues, not impact.

    A bicycle is a machine and when a person gets onto a bicycle that person becomes part of the machine. In order for a machine to be most efficient with the least wear and tear, everything has to be set up correctly ... it's engineering.

    And thus, if the saddle isn't the right height, there can be knee problems. There are other adjustments which can cause (or alleviate) problems as well.

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